With work under way to dual the A11, the east-west artery of the A47 has become the county’s main transport priority.

With that in mind, politicians, transport campaigners and industry leaders met at the Norfolk Showground outside Norwich yesterday for the launch of “A47 – Gateway to Growth”, an eight-page prospectus which outlines “an achievable programme of targeted improvements” along the congested route.

Rather than putting forward a single, unaffordable plan to dual the whole 105-mile stretch from Great Yarmouth to Peterborough, the document outlines a “realistic” series of 14 individual projects at pinch-points and problematic junctions.

They include dualling the Acle Straight, creating a third river crossing at Great Yarmouth, and building an East Winch / Middleton bypass in West Norfolk.

In order to help secure the necessary funding for these projects – more than £500m in total – the economic case is laid out in the potential benefits of the plans over the next 20 years:

-Almost 10,000 new jobs

-£390m per year increase in economic output;

-Private investment of more than £800m

-A 30-minute reduction in journey time, worth £42m a year to road users.

The launch event was joined by Broadland MP Keith Simpson mid-way through his journey along the A47 from King’s Lynn to Great Yarmouth – driving a Mini Cooper emblazoned with a Union Flag – to highlight the issues.

Mr Simpson said: “There is no ‘big bang’ solution to this. But if we don’t come up with an achievable business plan we will not be able to persuade the government to at least come up with some initial money and I am absolutely convinced that unless we come up with a compelling business case we are not going to be able to convince the minister.

“If we can demonstrate something is viable and achievable and get the money for it, then not only will people in Norfolk see that things are starting to move, but it also reinforces our case for the next tranche of money when it becomes available. I would like to think maybe we could get something in the next five years.”

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Tesco artic trucks have to stick to government limits as do other artics. 40 mph on a single road, 50 on a duel carriage way and 60 on the motorway and 7.5 tonne trucks are the same as us now and also we are not allowed to go in the third lane on a motorway. 35 mph is a bit slow or very slow depending upon the road.

Any improvements must be coordinated, not just speed up traffic, but improvements to us all. For example direct dedicated accesses for Anglian water traffic and for ambulances. A train connection to the outer harbour, not just a third river crossing with cars calling the tunes. Improvements must not come to the detriment of other traffic participants which cyclewalk into work or use the buses.

I agree with EUSSR. Whenever you see a convoy of slow moving vehicles there's always a supermarket truck crawling along at the head of the queue. This causes no end of frustration. Either the HGV speed limit should be raised to 50 or even 60 on single carriageways, or perhaps the Tesco truck drivers should read the Highway Code which states that you should pull into a layby if you are holding up traffic in order to let it pass!